Book Review Quest for the Crystal Castle

Guest Author - Deanna Joseph

Since I first discovered the Peaceful Warrior series, I have been a loyal Dan Millman fan! He is such a great story teller, and has a gift for sharing a spiritual message in a way that is easy to grasp.

So I was very excited to see that he had written a children’s book!

The Quest for the Crystal Castle is the story of young Danny, who thinks his summer is just a little too boring; chores are too mundane, and he’d rather be at summer camp with his friends, Joy and Carl.

One morning he goes to visit his friend Socrates, Joy’s Grandfather. He tells Socrates that he’s looking for excitement “somewhere else.” Socrates answers “If you’re looking for excitement somewhere else, there’s something you need to see.” He takes Danny on what starts out as a familiar hike up Frenchman’s Hill, but suddenly Danny finds himself in another world.

It is in this other world that Danny goes on the adventure of a life time, a quest for a crystal castle that he sees far in the distance. This adventure takes him through the wilderness, where he learns about both danger and possibility, and on his journey he rescues a bear cub, a hawk, and finds the crystal castle.

Danny has to deal with a lot of beliefs that (unfortunately) many of our children have. “You’re spoiled… lazy… weak…. ungrateful… you don’t deserve to make it… give up… just quit” (from the book). But he comes through his adventure feeling stronger and more appreciative.

This book is beautifully written. The message is easy to understand, and filled with hope and encouragement! The illustrations are done by T. Taylor Bruce, and they are simply beautiful. This book is absolutely lovely, and every page is eye catching and rich in color! My 10 year old and 12 year old very much enjoyed it, along with our 7 year old neighbor. And they were excited to ask questions and connect with me after we had read it – which is very important to me when I’m choosing books for my children.

The Quest for the Crystal Castle is about finding the magic in the lives we are already living and appreciating what we have right here at home. It’s about believing in ourselves, and knowing that we are strong and capable of doing anything we set our mind to.